Before this internship, I honestly had no idea what research meant. The idea of being a researcher didn’t seem exciting. I am the type of person that likes to be hands on. Whether I am working on a project or even studying. Hands on studying to me is achieved by getting up and using whiteboards and organizing study groups. This is one of the reasons I believed that I wasn’t the right type of person to fit into the research field. Thankfully, my mind has opened up to the idea. My perspective on my future has changed in positive and exciting ways.

Research is much more team oriented than I expected. My colleagues and I tend to have similar questions as we use and learn very similar simulation programs to carry out our experiments. In most cases, it isn’t ideal to ask the mentors questions for every minor road block. This is when our small office conversations allowed us to learn from each other. A majority of the time, the learning was reciprocal. Progress achieved independently is so rewarding.

Cutting edge technology comes from universities with these programs. I didn’t know this was true. I believed it was all industry that was responsible for this. This internship has given me a new found inspiration to pursue research. I will pursue a undergraduate research program in hydrogen technology thanks this experience at my new school because of this internship.

I think there’s no better place to intern than in my hometown of Santa Barbara. Most of my experiences in this small town often seem so familiar to me. This opportunity to come and participate in the research program, AIM was a daunting one. Before this, I have never been exposed to research. Coming from a community college, I did not know what to expect.

On my first day at UCSB, I got a tour of the engineering science building. The same building I drive by almost everyday on my commute to work or to visit friends in the neighboring college town, Isla Vista. It was an inspiring visit because I never realizing the magnitude of progress taking place inside that building. It was great to see all of the dedicated graduate students and professors. My initial nervousness had diminished quite a bit and I felt ready to begin.

Aside from the wonderful and helpful staff and coordinators, the mentors were a surprise to me. They are young and so alike myself. It was a reassuring encounter. I began the week by reading and taking notes on material given tome by my mentor. By the next week I was able to participate in graduate student meetings with the professors. I took great pride in that. It’s nothing like school work in which you study notes and take tests. There is no dependence on whether you can finish an exam on time but rather being able to apply new knowledge to a field in which very few individuals are participating in. It is more dependent on the effort you put into it.

This leads me into my time management and getting into the rhythm of research. The first week in the program, I felt like I had to be very strict with my schedule. I worried about being at my desk at a specific time or about being late. Now, into my third week I realized that you have some flexibility in time management. Of course, there are time specific meetings and my mentor isn’t available all the time. Aside from that, I’m able to choose how to lay out my day. One day, I might wake up and walk my dog in the morning then get to work. This isn’t the typical 9-5 job as I had imagined. Other days I start early in the morning leaving me the rest of the day to do the typical summer activities.

Aside from research, the workshops and presentations with my group are so helpful in developing myself for the future. I can already tell that my oral presentation skills and confidence has improved. I feel that I will only continue to get better as I continue this internship. I think the most valuable aspect I’ve acquired is confidence in myself. I think all of us are here for a reason, and all we can do is put aside any doubts and take full advantage of the opportunity we’re in.